A display device with both light-emitting and reflective display capabilities is disclosed. This device includes first and second electrodes provided on a first substrate, a second substrate provided to be spaced apart from and oppose the first substrate, a third electrode provided on the second substrate, a first layer which is provided between the first and second substrates on the first substrate side and which contains a light emissive material that emits light through electrochemical oxidation or reduction, a second layer which is provided between the first and second substrates on the second substrate side and which includes a coloring material that changes in color due to electrochemical oxidation or reduction, and a third layer between the first and second layers. The third layer is an electrolytic layer having non-transmissivity or transmission retardancy against the light emissive material or its oxidation or reduction species.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A display device comprising: a first substrate; first and second electrodes provided on said first substrate; a second substrate provided apart from said first substrate so as to make a space therebetween; a third electrode provided on said second substrate, opposing to said first and second electrodes; a first layer provided in the space at a location adjacent to said first and second electrodes, and containing therein a light emissive material which emits light through any one of electrochemical oxidation and reduction; a second layer provided in the space at a location adjacent to said third electrode, and containing a coloring material with color changeability through any one of electrochemical oxidation and reduction; and a third layer provided between said first and second layers and made of an electrolytic material having any one of non-transmissivity and transmission retardancy against any one of oxidation and reduction species of said light emissive material.
2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said third layer contains a lithium salt.
3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said first layer is any one of a solid layer and a liquid layer containing said light emissive material and a support salt, and wherein said second layer is a solid layer containing said coloring material.
4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein said first and second layers are solid layers.
5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between said third layer and said first and second electrodes is less than or equal to 2 micrometers (μm).
6. A display device comprising: a first substrate; first and second electrodes provided on said first substrate; a second substrate provided apart from said first substrate so as to make a space therebetween; a third electrode provided on said second substrate, opposing to said first and second electrodes; a first layer provided in the space at a location adjacent to said first and second electrodes, and containing therein a light emissive material which emits light through any one of electrochemical oxidation and reduction; a second layer provided in the space at a location adjacent to said third electrode, and containing a coloring material with color changeability through any one of electrochemical oxidation and reduction; and a third layer provided between said first and second layers and made of an electrolytic material containing therein a cross-link polymer.
7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein said third layer is a layer with a support salt being dispersed in said cross-link polymer.
8. The device according to claim 6 , wherein said cross-link polymer making up said third layer is an ionic dissociation group-introduced cross-link polymer.
9. The device according to claim 6 , wherein said third layer has a nonwoven fabric with said cross-link polymer being impregnated therein.
10. The device according to claim 6 , wherein said cross-link polymer is a styrene-styrenesulfonate copolymer.
11. The device according to claim 6 , wherein said third layer contains a lithium salt.
12. The device according to claim 6 , wherein said first layer is any one of a solid layer and a liquid layer containing said light emissive material and a support salt whereas said second layer is a solid layer containing said coloring material.
13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein said first and second layers are solid layers.
14. The device according to claim 6 , wherein a distance between said third layer and said first and second electrodes is less than or equal to 2 micrometers (μm).
15. A display device comprising: a first substrate; first and second electrodes provided on said first substrate; a second substrate provided apart from said first substrate so as to make a space therebetween; a third electrode provided on said second substrate, opposing to said first and second electrodes; a first layer provided in the space at a location adjacent to said first and second electrodes, and containing therein a light emissive material which emits light through any one of electrochemical oxidation and reduction; a second layer provided in the space at a location adjacent to said third electrode, and containing a coloring material with color changeability through any one of electrochemical oxidation and reduction; and a third layer provided between the first and second layers and made of an electrolytic material with a support salt being dispersed in a polyether-based polymer.
16. The device according to claim 15 , wherein said polyether-based polymer is a polyethylene oxide.
17. The device according to claim 15 , wherein said third layer has a nonwoven fabric as impregnated with said support salt and said polyether-based polymer.
18. The device according to claim 15 , wherein said third layer contains a lithium salt.
19. The device according to claim 15 , wherein said first layer is any one of a solid layer and a liquid layer containing said light emissive material and a support salt, and wherein said second layer is a solid layer containing said coloring material.
20. The device according to claim 19 , wherein said first and second layers are solid layers.
21. The device according to claim 15 , wherein a distance between said third layer and said first and second electrodes is less than or equal to 2 micrometers (μm).
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
October 7, 2005
February 27, 2007
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.